Climb trees this summer

Get out and get your hands dirty playing gilli danda, goli or kabaddi. Leave the television back home and learn to have real fun

April 23, 2014 07:01 pm | Updated May 21, 2016 01:01 pm IST - coimbatore:

School children enjoy gilli-danda, a traditional Indian game. Photo: M. Govarthan

School children enjoy gilli-danda, a traditional Indian game. Photo: M. Govarthan

Summer was meant for playing. Heading outdoors for a game of kabaddi, goli or gilli danda. Or, if it was too hot outside, one sat in and played dhaayakattam, paramapadham, pallanguzhi, or paandi. These games honed logical thinking, concentration, basic mathematics, and more.

Things have changed now. The streets look desolate. Children are no longer found out in the open, playing; instead they are glued to television sets, ipads and play stations. “Traditional games are designed to develop skills. Gilli danda is akin to cricket,” says art teacher R. Rajagopal. “It calls for skills, focus and perspective to hit the target. It keeps kids physically active, burns calories and improves blood circulation.”

Traditional games teach children concepts of winning and losing, besides developing their sensory and motor skills. Children learn to identify colours, improve hand-eye co-ordination while they are having loads of fun. Rajagopal regrets that the traditional games are on their way out as electronic games have taken over. “It might improve their mental faculty but what about their physical activity?” he asks.

Be it gilli danda, kho kho or kabaddi, children should just got out and play, says Shaumil Majumdar, co-founder of Edusports, which works with over 300 schools across India which includes more than three lakh children from nursery to class X. They take over the PT period and give sports the same level of treatment as math or science. “The advantage of Indian games is that it doesn’t need any pre-requisite. You can play anywhere, on the road, a park or any ground. All you need is an open area. Children are designed to play and it ensures physical fitness and social fitness. Team work, resolving issues, and working hard are studied on a playing field. Physical fitness is compromised when they don’t play and they become obese and lack social skills,” says Shaumil.

Computer games are solitary affairs where a child just stares at the screen. This leads to a sedentary lifestyle, and they end up battling lifestyle related health problems. “Parents should be aware of the health benefits, organise sports meet at their locality and encourage children,” says R. Selvi, a science teacher. She recalls playing nondi (hopscotch) and anju kal vilayaatu where you throw pebbles one after the other in air and catch it, and thottu vilayaatu which is played as a group.

A game of pallankuzhi or paramapadam (which has modern avatars such as Ludo and Snake and Ladder) teach the basics of math and science. “It makes their mind alert and they can crack puzzles easily,” says Rajagopal.

There are games played with ummi (paddy husk) where children hide coins in the husk and then look for it. The warmth of the ummi is believed to have healing powers. Traditional games put the entire body to work. They rejuvenate blood circulation, nervous system and memory power. “It’s always refreshing to interact with neighbours and enjoy the bonhomie while playing outdoor games,” says R. Mohammed Saleem, who regularly takes school children on outings with Nature.

The joys of climbing a mango tree to pluck ripe mangoes are no longer a part of their childhood, he says.“They are scared to climb trees. They must go out, observe Nature, and learn about the trees, flowers, frogs, insects, birds and butterflies.”

Dr. V. Thirunavakkarasu, child psychiatrist and author of books on parenthood, says children should be exposed to nature. “They should go outdoors. They need Vitamin D from the sun to stay healthy. It is important to improve their energy levels. A great deal of bonding happens when they play and it ensures a holistic development of the child.”

Nickelodeon channels have a Worldwide Day of Play, an annual event, designed to encourage children and parents to turn off the television and play, especially outdoors. It suspends programmes on all its TV channels for three hours.

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